Conservative Candidate to be ‘Empty Chaired’ At Youth Climate ‘Clustings’ Debate

Published on: 24 Nov, 2019
Updated on: 28 Nov, 2019

By Hugh Coakley

Guildford Youth Strike 4 Climate (YS4C) is holding a Climate Emergency hustings – a “Clustings” at Holy Trinity Church in the High Street. But Conservative candidate, Angela Richardson, hasn’t responded to her invite.

See update: Conservative Candidate Will Attend Youth Strikers ‘Clustings’

If she does not attend the organisers have confirmed that she will be represented by an empty chair to show she was invited.

All candidates have accepted the YS4C invitation to a ‘Clustings’ except Conservative, Angela Richardson.

Anne Rouse (Labour) and John Morris (Peace Party) responded within a day of the invitation, shortly followed by Anne Milton (Independent) and Zoe Franklin (Lib Dem) saying that they would attend on Friday, November 29 at 11 am.

But despite the Conservative government committing to a near carbon-neutral target by 2050, the first major country to do so, the Conservatives appear to be defensive on what is now considered to be a key election issue.

Youth Strike 4 Climate activists. Photo by Paul Crouchman.

And it would seem to be a Conservative Party strategy to refuse to debate the climate issue. Channel 4 has said that the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and Nigel Farage of the Brexit Party have refused to confirm they will take part in a historic party leader debate focusing solely on the climate crisis.

A YS4C spokesperson said: “We have, to date, had no reply from Angela Richardson (Conservative), which is especially disappointing given that she did attend the recent university hustings.

“We have drafted a short letter that we plan to make available on social media for people coming on the strike and to the ‘Clustings’ to send Angela via Twitter or Facebook, and make our disappointment at her lack of reply evident. This will hopefully prompt a reply, even if it is only an acknowledgement of our event.”

The Guildford Dragon NEWS has asked Angela Richardson to confirm if she intends to attend the debate. To date, we have received no response.

A YS4C protest event next week, which will include a march through the town, will be the organisation’s seventh protest in Guildford since February this year. They are focussing their efforts on the general election hoping to sway the candidates and the voters. The protestors are encouraging students to put their questions for the Clustings to the candidates online.

Rowan, aged 13 and one of the YS4C organisers, said in a press release: ”We can’t do this by ourselves. We can’t vote. Banning plastic straws but continuing our dependence on fossil fuels is a death sentence for future generations.

“We also know that governments can force through big changes in society like they did in 1948 when the NHS was set up. We need big changes to the way we live and our society if we and our children have a chance of survival.”

Over 1,000 people attended the Youth Strike 4 Climate protest march in Guildford in September 2019.

Local schools represented on YS4C include George Abbot, Guildford County School, Farnborough Sixth Form, Farnborough College of Technology, Royal Grammar School, Godalming College, Woking College, Guildford College, Sandfield School, Tillingbourne, Tormead, St Catherine’s and Kings College.

Hugh Coakley is a member of Extinction Rebellion.

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